


“Make me feel like I am breathing, feel like I am human, again”

by a_perverted_squid



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background HankCon - Freeform, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Hurt, Kendoll Nines, M/M, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 20:42:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16878834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_perverted_squid/pseuds/a_perverted_squid
Summary: After an unfortunate accident, Gavin and Nines have to put their differences aside and join in order to solve a mysterious case regarding android murders.





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language so I apologize for typos and grammar mistakes, hope you enjoy it.

A rhythmic, mechanic beeping noise was the first thing that caught Gavin’s attention as he slowly came to. At first, the noise felt distant and distorted, it echoed through the small room Gavin found himself in. His ears were ringing, making the beeping noise seem much more unbearable. Despite the annoying beeping and a throbbing headache he slowly regained his other senses. Reed’s throat was painfully dry, lips chapped and bruised. He swallowed hard what little saliva he had in his mouth, the sharp pain that followed right afterwards made him flinch. The smell of the room he stayed in was anything but pleasant, the scent of antiseptics and rubber abused his nostrils and burnt his lungs. His vision was too bright and blurry, he blinked rapidly but nothing changed, the light seemed like a thousand white dots darting across the room. Gavin brushed his fingers against the surface he was lying on, the fabric was uncomfortably sharp and unpleasant. 

“Hospital?” he thought to himself while trying to recall what exactly happened the last time he was awake.

A small grunt left his throat as he moved his body upwards, closing his eyes tightly as the pain kicked in. He let out a muffled gasp followed by a rough grunt as his head sunk deeper into the soft pillow below it.

“Stay still Gavin.” a familiar voice spoke up. It was soft and calming unlike the aggressive beeping, it sounded like a whisper, a relaxing hum. Gavin blinked once again desperately trying to make out the person that was to his right. 

“Nines?” he weakly called out. This was definitely not the first time he had woken up in a hospital with his partner by his side. Gavin had a tendency to be extremely reckless during their missions which often resulted in him getting injured. 

“No,” the voice spoke softly “it’s me, Connor.” he said as he cleared his throat. Connor gently placed his hand on top of Gavin’s, on most days Gavin would’ve flinched away within a second but at the moment he was grateful for not being alone. 

“The lights,” Gavin grunted “turn them off please.”  
Connor got up with a smile and turned off the lights then slowly walked back to Gavin. 

“Are you in a lot of pain?” Connor’s LED spun yellow as he shamelessly scanned the man in front of him.

“No,” Gavin looked up at the android and snickered at the sight of his LED changing color “I’m okay.”

“I’m glad.” Connor smiled gently. His eyes scanned the room once again before he asked “So umm are Anderson and Nines outside or?”

Connor frowned and quickly looked away from Gavin, “Do-“ he inhaled sharply “Gavin, do you remember what happened last night?”  
His brown eyes glistened in the darkness, avoiding all eye contact Gavin was desperately trying to maintain. Gavin swallowed hard before stuttering a quick “Yeah,” followed by “we were on a mission, Nines and I, something went wrong and...” he desperately tried to recall last nights events but all that he could remember was those few seconds before being knocked out cold. Gavin looked up at Connor, he felt his stomach sink when he saw the facial expressions of the usually cheerful android. 

Connor lowered his head, his eyes seemed glossy, almost as if he was about to cry. His bottom lip quivered as he barley mustered up the courage to speak again “He was sent to two different CyberLife repair clinics,” he finally looked back at Gavin “Both of them told us there was nothing they could do.”  
Gavin’s face completely drained of color, his body began uncontrollably shaking. The machine next to him beeped rapidly as his heart rate suddenly increased.

“Is,” Gavin’s voice cracked as tears formed in his eyes “is he dead?” he stared into nothingness.  
Connor gently smiled “Of course not,” he shook his head “we just need to find the right person to fix him, that’s all, I had no intention of scaring you, you should rest Gavin. Focus on your own recovery.” 

“I know it’s my fault,” Gavin lowered his head “I bet it is, he probably did something stupid to save me,” he clenched his fist “stupid prick,” tears rolled down his cheeks “stupid fucking prick!”

“Gavin...” Connor said softly, unsure of what to do or how to comfort the man in front of him. He reached for Gavin’s hand when the doors behind them opened. It was Hank, he silently walked in, unaware that Gavin was awake. He put his phone in the front pocket of his coat and moved towards Connor, his boots squeaked with each heavy step. Gavin watched silently as Hank placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder, he leaned in and whispered something which caused Connor to smile, after that Hank turned around and opened the door, gesturing for Connor to leave the room with him.

“Everything will be okay Gavin,” Connor run his fingers through Gavin’s hair “they found a person who can fix Nines, you should rest now.”

Gavin clicked his tongue upon feeling Connor’s fingers brush his cheek, he was still a bit distant and cold towards Connor at times but their relationship had increasingly improved over the last few months.

“Make sure he’s okay.” Gavin ordered as he sunk his head deeper into the pillow, slowly closing his eyes. 

“Of course!” Connor smiled and followed Hank as they exited the room and made their way down the long hospital hall.

This wasn’t the first time Nines got hurt during a mission, it happened quite often actually, despite him being a deviant he still liked to accomplish his mission. His priorities were always to protect Gavin by all cost and accomplish the mission. Their relationship was a unique one from the start, at first, they couldn’t stand each other but with time they developed a strong bond that led to romantic feelings and it ultimately ended in a relationship of sorts. Nines was always patient with Gavin, even on his worst days when he would completely act out and be a complete ass, despite constantly denying it, Gavin really appreciated his help. Gavin loved Nines more than he ever loved any human and that was the reason why he was so terrified of losing him, he tried to distract himself from thinking about it by sleeping but soon found out he was too stressed to sleep.

He observed the bland walls in front of him, desperately trying to distract himself from thinking about Nines, he hoped that Connor or Anderson would come back just to keep him company but deep down he knew they wouldn’t be coming back, at least not today. He still wasn’t sure how severe his wounds were, despite his throbbing headache he felt fine. Carefully, he removed the sheet that covered his body, he checked himself out, it seemed that he was well, sure he was covered in bruises and cuts but besides that he was fine. Luckily he hadn’t broken anything, at least not this time, on the last mission he managed to break his index finger on his left hand. He chuckled to himself as he remembered Nines taking care of him, despite his minor injury. He missed him so much already. As the time passed Gavin’s eyes felt heavy and before he knew it he was out cold.

The next few days were pretty boring, Gavin got two weeks off and he spent them doing absolutely nothing. He sat around his apartment, desperately searching for something to do. He felt so lost and lonely without Nines, sure he had friends to talk to but it just wasn’t the same. Connor would often stop by, he’d bring Gavin groceries and other necessities otherwise Gavin would’ve stuffed himself with instant noodles and some cheap beer. Gavin was extremely thankful for it but it made him feel uneasy, he couldn’t stop wondering about it, why was Connor so caring and gentle all of a sudden? In the end Gavin payed little attention to his curious mind and just embraced the help he was offered. 

“So...” Gavin looked up from his plate to meet Connor’s eyes “H-how...” he stuttered, eyes darting across Connor’s face, observing his features and comparing them to Nines’. “How is he?” his voice cracked loudly by the end of his question. 

With a swift movement Connor gently lowered his cup of thirium tea, his lips curling in a comforting smile. “He’s doing amazing,” he said “he should be good as new in a few days, now finish your meal before it gets cold.” the android urged.

“What’s up with you lately?” Gavin mocked him as he poked a potato with a knife “You’re so caring, it’s unsettling.” he chuckled.

“Well you see,” the android’s LED flickered yellow for less than a second, a barely noticeable change but still a valid one, “I promised Nines to take care of you in case something happened to him and he promised he’d do the same with Hank.” he smiled once again, fingers lightly tapping on the yellow cup he was holding.

“Fucking tin cans.” Gavin chuckled as he looked down at his plate, he sighed loudly before continuing his meal. “I can’t wait for him to come back,” he poked around with his fork, causing his vegetables to turn into mush “it’s quiet without him, way too quiet.” his eyes met Connor’s again.

“Well at least Lilith keeps you company.” he peaked over Gavin’s shoulder to look at a small black cat. She was curled up in a ball while peacefully sleeping on a fluffy brown pillow. 

“Yeah,” Reed smiled genuinely “she’s great, I think she also misses him.” he spun around on his chair to look at the cat along with the android. “She keeps sleeping on his clothes, he’ll be so pissed once he comes back and sees all of his stuff is covered in hairs.” he laughed shortly before turning back around to meet the android’s eyes.

“When are you coming back to work?” Connor tilted his head as he took another sip of his tea “It’s oddly quiet without you.” he teased as he squinted his eyes. 

“Is this a confession? Are you finally admitting that you love me?” Reed teased the android, testing his patience.

“Good one detective.” Connor smiled as he finished his tea “Thank you for the tea Gavin, it was a pleasure chatting with you.” he said as he got up from the table.

“Leaving so soon?” Gavin snickered “You haven’t even kissed me goodbye!” he teasingly said as he got up to escort the android to his front door.

Connor scoffed loudly while rolling his eyes playfully. He grabbed his coat, black and long, a perfect fit for an android his built, it suited him better than the long forgotten android uniform.

“And to answer your question,” Gavin opened his front door “I’m coming back tomorrow despite what the doctor had said.”  
He looked down at his shoes and sighed deeply, “I don’t think I’d be able to handle one more week in utter silence.”, a gentle grasp on his shoulder made him look up. Connor smiled gently as he circled his thumb over Reed’s shoulder, the combination of the look on his face and the movement of his digit was strangely comforting.

“I understand,” he quickly let go of Gavin and headed out the door “but don’t overwork yourself, deal?” his LED flickered blue for a split second. 

“Deal.” Reed said firmly before waving goodbye, watching Connor head towards his ride home. Gavin gently closed his door and locked it, he glanced at the cat that was still peacefully asleep. His lips curled into a soft smile, she looked so adorable, so relaxed and blissful, she looked like everything he wasn’t at the moment. He made his way to the bedroom and sat on the bed, it was uncomfortably empty and the thought of spending another night alone made Gavin’s stomach turn.

He hated this, he absolutely hated this, his home felt cold and empty, the atmosphere was nowhere near how a home should feel like. The pile of his used socks grew with each day, his shirts were scattered across the whole bedroom, at this point everything reminded him of Nines. He thought about how angry he’ll be once returns home and sees that the place looks like a fucking nightmare, he’ll roll his icy blue eyes and scold Gavin for hours before kissing the scar on his nose and calling him a messy dumbass. And he was right, he was always right, Gavin was a messy dumbass, a mess dumbass that somehow managed to fall in love with the android whose features resembled god’s. 

A loud ring broke the silence Gavin found himself in, he looked over to his bedside table and picked up his phone. It was Tina.

“Found your secret stash of caffeine lollipops, they’re mine now, get well soon xo” 

Gavin chuckled to himself as he read the message, he had no clue why Tina was snooping around his desk but he was glad to hear from her. The two of them have been friends since the day Tina had been transferred to the office. At first Gavin treated her as a rookie, poking fun at Tina and underestimating her, until the day she snapped at him while they were on a case. From that day on Tina has a special place in Gavin’s heart, she’s the closest thing to, what he would consider, a “best friend”.

“Hope you choke on them xoxo” 

He responded quickly before tossing his phone beside him. His eyes darted across his room again, desperate to find anything he could comfort himself with or at least keep himself busy. The clock on the wall beside him showed exactly 06:00 pm, it felt like time was frozen, minutes felt like hours, hours felt like weeks and weeks felt like months. He thought about tomorrow, about coming back to work, about chatting with Chris and Tina, about teasing the shit out of Hank before he snaps and curses him into infinity. No matter how demanding and tiring his job was, Gavin really enjoyed it. The thrill and the adrenaline rush after chasing after a suspect or spending the whole day in the interrogation room was something he highly appreciated and enjoyed but nothing, and when he says nothing he really means nothing, nothing felt better than coming home to rest with Nines but he, he wasn’t around now and just the thought of it made Gavin’s heart ache. With a loud sigh, Gavin got up and made way to their closet. For a few seconds he just silently stared at the tiny door handle before opening it and grabbing the first turtleneck he could get his hands on. He was sure Nines’ wouldn’t mind him borrowing his clothes, he needed something to comfort him. With a swift motion he took off his hoodie only to quickly replace it with a clean turtleneck, the fabric tightened on his body, after all he was much bulkier than Nines. His fingers gently traced over the collar of it as he made his way back into the kitchen, he wasn’t sure why he went there nor if he needed anything, he just couldn’t stay in one place for too long. 

“Another long night huh Lilith?” he smiled at the cat that slowly approached him, she let out a loud purr as she wrapped herself around Gavin’s right leg, begging for attention.

“What do you say we make some coffee and watch a movie, wouldn’t that be nice my princess?” he picked her up and headed towards the cupboard.

It was going to be another lonely sleepless night for Gavin, he knew that already, he thought about taking some sleeping pills but quickly gave up on that idea. He stirred his coffee in silence and prepared for another night without Nines, another evening without him, another day without him.

________________________________________

 

As the elevator slowly went up, Gavin though about work and how much he missed out on. There were probably a dozen cases waiting for him, he was already aware of the fact that he’ll struggle with those for days before actually finishing them. Just the thought about it all made him cringe, he clenched his teeth and inhaled sharply.

“You have to do what you have to do.” he comforted himself silently.

A loud noise echoed through the elevator as it made its stop, Gavin quickly glanced at himself in the mirror behind him and fixed his hair with a quick movement of his hand. Reed slowly exited it and headed towards the receptionist, he flashed her his badge before making his way to the office. He dragged himself down the hallway when he noticed Tina, she was talking to Chris, both of them seemed tense, something about their posture screamed trouble. Gavin felt his gut turn as he made his way towards them, he gulped loudly before wrapping his arm around Tina. 

“What’s up fuckers?” Gavin chuckled as he tried to hide his anxiety.

“Gavin?!” Tina exclaimed as she turned her face towards him.

“Well that’s the name my mother gave me so I suppose you’re correct.” he teased with a smile.

“Don’t be an ass Reed.” Chris smiled weakly as he shook his head.

“Seriously,” Reed’s facial expressions changed into a more serious stern look “what’s wrong?” he shifted his gaze to Tina, she was seemingly staring into nothingness.

“Gavin...” she started but Chris quickly interrupted “It’s a bad day today, maybe you should go home, you’re still weak from your injuries, you should go rest.” he said in one breath.

“I can handle it,” Gavin frowned “I appreciate the care but for fucks sake I’m not a kid.” he chuckled to himself as he shifted his view towards Fowler’s office and suddenly, time froze.

There he was, standing next to Hank and Connor, talking to Fowler. He was stunning as always, his hair pushed back slightly, new police uniform neatly clung to his muscles, defining them perfectly. Gavin felt his jaw clench, heart rate increasing with each passing second. 

“Nines!” he smiled as he let go of Tina and quickly made his way towards Fowler’s class cage. 

“Gavin no, wait!” Tina called out but it was too late, Gavin was already standing three feet away from the small steps that lead into the captain’s office. 

Barely aware of how loudly he was breathing, Gavin stood there, observing Nines like it’s the first time he’d ever seen him. Nines ice cold eyes met his, Gavin’s lips curved into a smile. Nines was back, he was finally back, Gavin smiled to himself, no more sleepless nights and boring days, his life was about to shift back to his usual routine. He looked away from Nines, he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him, about fucking him until neither of them can move, his cheeks burned with excitement. A thousand thoughts went through his head but they all quickly faded away as soon as he looked back at Nines. His face remained completely cold and emotionless, completely unfazed by seeing his lover. 

“The fuck?” Gavin mouthed to himself as he shifted his gaze towards Connor, he looked completely devastated. 

Gavin felt his chest tighten as Hank opened the door, he observed the android’s go down the stairs before feeling a strong grip on his shoulder. He turned around quickly to look at the shorter woman behind him.

“Gavin leave while you still have the chance.” Tina’s voice was soft and silent.

“No.” he replied quickly and turned to face the group of people in front of him.

“You dumbass.” Tina whispered as she distanced away from him.

He found himself staring at those cold blue eyes once again, a shiver went through his spine as the android approached him, his LED flickered blue for a few seconds.

“Hello detective Reed,” the android spoke up, extending his arm to shake Gavin’s “I’m a model RK900, I was assigned to assist you, I look forward to working with you.” his voice remained same in pitch throughout his whole sentence, absolutely monotone and emotionless. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Reed slowly backed away from the android in front of him “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” he looked at Connor, frantically searching for an answer, hopelessly wishing this was all a sick prank they decided to pull on him.

“Gavin,” Connor spoke up “he doesn’t remember you,” his LED flickered between yellow and red rapidly “he doesn’t remember any of us, they...they...” he stuttered, LED spinning red aggressively.

“It’s okay Connor,” Hank interrupted “go rest, I’ll explain.” he ran his fingers through Connor’s hair gently. 

Gavin stood there, he just stood there in utter terror, absolutely speechless, quick breathes rapidly escaped his lungs as he waited for Hank to speak up. He watched Connor slowly turn towards his desk and leave without a word. Reed desperately looked at Hank again, his eyes observing the older man, hoping for a comforting answer, for an explanation, hoping for anything that isn’t bad news.

“Listen kid,” Hank exhaled loudly “the damage he sustained was too much, they had to reset him, he doesn’t remember any of us.” he ran his fingers through his hair, moving it away from his face “The worst thing is, since he’s Cyberlife’s top model, when they reset him...” Hank paused. “Fuck,” he grunted “how should I put this, he’s no longer a deviant either, he’s just a machine again.” Hank looked up at Gavin and swallowed loudly.

Gavin’s face was completely drained of color, his legs, visibly trembling. He felt as his heart was about to explode from fury, sadness and pain, each inhale burned his lungs. 

“Gavin?” Anderson approached him slowly.

“Sick...” Reed replied “I think I’m going to be sick.” he stumbled a few steps backwards before turning around and darting towards the toilet. 

“Kid wait!” Hank yelled out, “You uh,” he turned towards RK900 “uh, go be with Connor, I’ll be right back.” he muttered out and followed the shorter man.

As soon as he entered the toilet, Gavin bent over the first sink and emptied his stomach. He coughed loudly, choking on both his vomit and tears. The room began to spin as his legs turned to jello, he desperately tried to hold on, propping himself on his elbows. Reed suddenly lost his ability to breathe regularly, choking on each desperate attempt to inhale. The doors creaked loudly as he lost his balance and fell backwards. 

“I’ve got you son, I’ve got you.” a raspy voice spoke up as Gavin felt two strong arms lift him back to his feet.

“Hank” Gavin sobbed “What should I do? What the fuck should I do?” he stumbled backwards.

Hank gently pushed him to lean against a wall, Gavin was crying, choking on his own tears, he looked absolutely terrible. Hank had never seen him like this, as much as they argued and fought constantly, it was still heartbreaking to watch Gavin break down completely. He placed a hand on Reed’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. 

“Let it all out, I’m here for you.” he spoke quietly.

“What should I do Hank?” Gavin covered his face with his palms, he cried loudly into them, staining them with spit, tears and snot. “He can’t stay at my place, I won’t be able to handle it, I can’t work with him, how will I work with him, please Hank, I’m begging you.” Gavin looked up at Anderson “Help me.” 

Anderson let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, looking at Gavin reminded him of Cole, it reminded him of how Cole would cry after having a terrible nightmare. His hands shook as he wrapped his arms around Gavin instinctively, pulling him in for a tight hug. They stood there for what seemed like forever, Reed’s sobs echoed through the empty room. Unsure of what to do, Hank hummed silently, trying to calm both himself and the man in his arms.

“Don’t worry, I know how hard it is to lose a loved one.” Hank comforted him “He can stay at my place, take as much time as you need.” he said awkwardly. This was the first time he had found himself in this situation, he never expected to be comforting somebody over the death of their android lover, he never expected to be comforting Gavin. 

“Thank you.” Reed stuttered out. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up and I’ll drive you home, it’s better if you rest today.” after for what seemed like forever Hank let go of Gavin, he looked absolutely pathetic. 

Gavin just nooded silently, barely moving from the spot he stood in for so long. Deep down he still hoped that all of this was a nightmare, he hoped he’d wake up soon and find himself in Nines’ arms again.

“Uh here.” Hank handed him a small pile of crumbled napkins “Just breathe, take your time.” he spoke softly.

“Thanks.” he took the napkins while trying to avoid eye contact, “Connor,” he blew his nose “how’s Connor doing, the two of them were like brothers.” 

“He’s,” Hank replied before inhaling deeply “he’s upset, shaken, fuck,” he dragged his palm across his face. “I don’t know, I’ve never seen him like this.” he turned towards the mirror and placed his hands on the sink, “But he never fails to amaze me.” Hank’s head dropped as his lips curled in a smile “No matter how bad the situation is he’s still sure he’ll find s way to fix it.” 

Gavin chuckled “I envy him,” he inched towards the sink to wash his hands. “I feel like a bitch.” he turned the tap on, cold water dripped down his hand, making him flinch. “Nines is gone but he’s...he’s here?” his voice was muffled by the running water. 

“Don’t beat yourself over it, you’re allowed to feel this way, it’s a fucked up situation.” Anderson pat his shoulder.

With a swift movement, Gavin splashed some water on his face. The cool liquid soothed his hot face, his eyes felt puffy and warm from crying. He felt exhausted, the thought of going home and burying himself in bed was extremely appealing at the moment.

“Hey Hank,” he turned away from the man next to him “thank you.” he whispered.

“Don’t mention it kid.” Hank replied almost instantly.

A loud chuckle echoed through the toilet “Old man.” Gavin muttered.

“Brat.” Anderson replied and nudged Reed’s shoulder.

They stood there in silence until Gavin finished cleaning up, he looked himself in the mirror, inhaled sharply and headed towards the door, Hank followed. Once they left the toilet, Gavin pulled the hood of his jacket on, hiding his face from everybody in the office. Loud footsteps echoed as the two of them made their way towards the elevator, the whole time none of them said a thing, they occasionally glanced at each other but nothing more. 

The awkward silence followed them all the way to the parking lot, the ride home wasn’t any better. Gavin pressed his head against the window, he observed the grey clouds. It seemed as it was about to rain, nothing out of the ordinary Gavin though, standard autumn weather in Detroit. The leaves were brown and orange or at least what was left of them, trees became nothing but skeletal branches in the strong wind. October in Detroit was always gorgeous despite all the rain and wind, at least that’s what people said. Gavin was never the type to observe nature or admire architecture and yet here he was thinking about anything just to get his mind off of Nines.

He was never big on commitment, never had a proper relationship either. The closest thing to a relationship he had was that one time in college, when his roommate and him decided to be fuck buddies. It lasted for a while, he’d lie if he said he didn’t enjoy those days, maybe he even loved him, who knows, maybe they would’ve even engaged in a relationship had they not been outed. Gavin’s mother was fine with it, she never really cared about who Gavin slept with but the other man’s parents, they, they weren’t okay with it at all. Times were different then, way different than the are now. He never thought he’d be able to have a stable relationship but then the android crap happened and before he knew it, he was partnered up with the perfect prototype, the last remaining non deviant. It’s been around a year since they partnered up, around six months since they started fucking and almost five months since they started dating.

“We’re here.” Hank’s raspy voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Oh...” Gavin looked around “uh yeah, yeah sorry, um thanks.” he rubbed his eyes. 

“Don’t mention it.” Anderson smiled as Gavin opened the door and exited the vehicle.

With a loud slam he closed the car door and made his way towards his front door, he could hear the car pull away, its engine slowly fading into the distance. He shuffled around his pockets for a bit before taking out a key, he unlocked his door and stumbled inside. Lilith came running with a loud purr, she stretched as she approached him and begged for his attention. 

“Hey princess,” he smiled “I’ve got some bad news.” he bent down to pet her.

His face turned into a frown, nose itchy as he felt his eyes swell with tears once again. He quickly took off his boots and tossed his jacket aside before making his way to the liquor cabinet, he grabbed the first bottle. Within a second he was sitting on his kitchen counter, draining the bottle like there’s no tomorrow, he couldn’t care less, he couldn’t care more, he just wanted to forget.


	2. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to my beta JJ, couldn’t do it without you friend!!!

Gavin stood in the elevator silently, his stomach dropped as he reached the floor he had to get off on, the floor where Nines would be. He wanted to go back home, he wanted to crawl under his bed and never come out again. He felt absolutely and utterly miserable.

“Pretend you don’t know him, pretend you don’t know him.” Gavin mumbled to himself as the elevator door opened, he took a deep breath and stepped out. For a moment he just stood there, observing his surroundings. The atmosphere in the room was surprisingly calm, the only distinguishable noises were of people silently talking and the muffled sound of television.   
He watched a kid and his mom pass by him, they were silently discussing what they’ll have for dinner that day. Gavin wishes he was that child, safe in his mom’s embrace, on his way home where he’d be safe and sound, but sadly, him and his mother never had such a relationship and he had work to do.  
Unfortunately, Reed had places to be, he’d give anything just to be at home again but duty called. He headed down the small corridor before entering a room with a large front desk. Gavin dragged his feet as he walked towards it, mind racing with the thought of seeing that stupid android again.

“Good morning detective Reed.” the woman said as he silently passed by her, flashing her his badge in the process. People would, usually, dismiss his rude behavior, after all he was an ass but now everybody knew why he was so tense now. Their relationship was never a public one but they never bothered to hide it either, they knew they were risking a lot by showing affection at work but at the same time both of them enjoyed the risk of getting caught. 

The office was uncomfortably silent, the silence made Gavin stand out even more as stomped around, walking towards his desk. 

“Pretend you don’t know him, shut down completely, do whatever the fuck you need to do to keep yourself sane.” he said to himself as he reached his desk. He gently pulled his chair out and practically threw himself on it. The chair let out a loud squeak as his body hit the hard surface of it, causing everybody in the office to look his way. Luckily, 900 wasn’t around just yet, Gavin secretly hoped he wouldn’t show up at all. He quickly glanced at his desk, it was neat, no new nor old paperwork scattered around, no unfinished files. He knew Nines touched his shit, he wished he could be angry but at the same time he knew it would’ve taken him at least three days to work to finish those cases.

“Hey Gavin,” he felt a gentle brush on his left shoulder “would you like to drink coffee with me before all hell goes down in a few hours?” Tina smiled gently.

“Sure.” Gavin responded, he took of his jacket and lazily threw it over his chair as he got up.

Tina walked beside him silently, she nervously played with a ring on her finger while glancing at him every few seconds. Gavin noticed right away that there was something she wanted to talk about but he was unsure whether he wanted to talk at all.

“Hey Gav,” Tina said nervously “you know that if you need somebody to talk to I’m here for you right?” her voice was soft and caring, her words honest and pure, Gavin always wondered if he deserved such a good friend.

“Nothing to talk about T,” Gavin itched his nose, a bad habit he did whenever he lied “there’s nothing to talk about, I’m good.” 

“You’re nowhere close to good.” Tina said as they entered the break room, heading towards the coffee machine right away.

“I’m good Tina.” he said quickly while leaning against a wall, waiting for his turn to make coffee, completely ignoring any eye contact.

“You can’t run away from your problems Gavin, you just can’t do that, it’ll eat you alive.” she hissed at him “You’ll end up hurting yourself, you need to talk to somebody about this. I’ve known you long enough to see when you need help, all you have to do is ask.” she turned to face him, this time he couldn’t look away “I care about you Gavin.”

“I don’t need help, can we just fucking drink coffee already?!” he raised his tone. 

“Stop acting like a child Gav, I know...” but Gavin interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

“What do you know Tina?! You have no fucking idea what this feels like, not a single fucking clue, so get of my fucking dick and leave me the fuck alone.” his heart was pounding in his ears, palms sweating with each passing second.

Tina said nothing in response, she looked away quickly and made her way back to her desk, leaving her coffee behind.

“Fuck!” Gavin muttered to himself as he pressed the back if his head against the cold wall. The sound of his heart beat echoed in his ears, he felt like shit for lashing out on Tina, she didn’t deserve it, she never deserved it. He watched her walk away hoping that she’d turn around to smack him in the face, he was an asshole, an asshole that just pushed away probably the only person that cared about him. He sighed loudly and looked at her cup of coffee, it was still steaming hot, it reminded him of himself, bitter and hot.  
Gavin left the coffee untouched, turned around back to his desk and to his dismay, saw that son of a bitch there, sitting at the desk opposite of his. He wished he could be furious, he wanted to be angry but he couldn’t help but feel his chest squeeze as he watched Nines silently read a file. With a loud sigh he started walking towards his desk, the closer he got the louder his heart pounded. But he was never a person that would hide or run away from his problems, he was way too stubborn to let anybody humiliate him but he couldn’t help himself at the moment. He considered turning around and returning back to Tina, after all she deserved an apology, but before he could even finish his thought, RK looked up and turned his head towards him. To Gavin’s surprise, the android remained silent, he looked at Gavin and got back to work. Gavin swallowed hard, he observed him as he sat down, watching every single move he made. Gavin had already forgotten how Nines used to act before he deviated, he was always silent and hard working, his only two missions to finish his cases and protect the person he was assigned to. Nines must’ve felt his nervous glare because he looked up at him again, his LED flashing blue for a few seconds. 

“Hello detective,” he finally spoke up, his voice robotic and completely drained from emotions “it seems like my presence upset you yesterday, I had no intention of causing you discomfort.” his eyes sparkled unnaturally as he talked. Gavin noticed the change in his posture right away, he always held himself like he had a stick up his ass but this, this was different. Each and every one of his moves was robotic, he wasn’t like Connor, he was never programmed to resemble a human, he was just a perfect hunting machine. His appearance wasn’t any different, sharp fangs, strong jawline, soulless eyes, all of those were just a gentle reminder that Nines is a machine and nothing more, a perfect android designed by Cyberlife.

“Not your fault tin can, just had a bad day.” Gavin said quickly while shuffling around to get his phone. He needed a distraction, he couldn’t just keep looking at him like a creep.

“I’d still like to make a proper introduction, if you don’t mind.” RK blinked after what seemed like forever. He slowly extended his arm, encouraging Gavin to do the same. Reed let out a silent sigh as he pulled his hand out of his pocket, he glanced back at the android’s eyes, still soulless, still so cold. His hand met Nines’ and for some odd reason it made him feel comfortable, it made him feel safe in a way he could not describe.

“Hello detective Reed, I’m a model RK900, assigned to you to assist with future cases and investigations.” he let go of Gavin’s hand, leaving him aching for more contact. “I’ve noticed androids no longer go by their model number, would you like to give me a name?” 

Gavin swallowed hard upon hearing his question, he didn’t want to answer it, he didn’t want to name him after his lost lover. They looked the same but they were definitely two completely different people. Gavin knew that and he knew that the android in front of him deserved to be his own person and not a ghost of a lost soul, he knew RK900 deserved a chance to live a potentially happy life too. Gavin’s voice cracked slightly, he knew what he was doing was wrong “Nines,” he looked down at his knees “you’re name is Nines.” he felt ashamed of himself.

“Thank you detective.” Nines thanked him before silently returning to whatever he was doing before.

Gavin was thankful he finally looked away, he knew he could scan him at any given moment and he wanted to save himself from the embarrassment. The last thing he needed in this situation was Nines noticing how nervous he was and calling him out on it. He had to leave, he had to move. Unfortunately, Anderson and Connor weren’t there yet, Chris wasn’t either, his only option was Tina. He looked over her at her desk, she was sitting there, typing something on her phone, seemed like she had free time to hear his lame apology and talk. The chair creaked loudly as he got up, causing the android to look up, Gavin could feel his piercing eyes on his back, he swallowed hard.

“Excuse me detective,” he spoke up “I’d advise you not to wonder too far, we’ve been assigned a new case.” his LED blinked yellow for a second “We need to go over the evidence in the evidence room, I already...” but he was interrupted by Gavin. Nines raised his eyebrow as Gavin’s voice overpowered his, LED still spinning yellow.

“Wait, wait, why wasn’t I informed about this?” Gavin raised his voice, slamming both of his hands against Nines’ desk, causing it to shake and creak loudly.

“I apologize detective, the case was assigned to you yesterday. Captain Fowler assigned it to you upon your confirmation that you’d come to work yesterday but you left early so I took over.” the android stared blankly at Gavin, he didn’t have to scan him to know Gavin was extremely upset over this. “Again, I apologize, I just thought...” but he got interrupted by a loud slam. Gavin was furious, his chest heaving with rage.

“You thought? You are a machine you don’t fucking think and don’t ever fucking touch my shit without my knowledge, what fucking happened yesterday?!” he yelled loudly but android didn’t budge, the only indicator of the fact that he was listening to Gavin’s rambling was his LED, it kept switching between yellow and red. Gavin run his fingers through his hair “Fuck,” he moved away from the table and headed towards the evidence room “come on we have no time to lose.” he scratched is nose, it was a bad habit of his, a bad habit to itch his nose each time he was nervous. The android got up immediately, following close behind the detective, he remained silent for a while, just observing the shorter man walking next to him. They walked down a small hallway before reaching a green door.

Despite his laziness, Gavin took his job very seriously, he knew people depended on him, he knew every minute mattered.   
“So what happened?” his tone suddenly changed, he sounded calm and serious, focused on work. Nines opened the door before speaking up, in the same monotone voice as before.

“Yesterday at 04:57 pm we got a call from Anna Davis, she returned to her apartment after walking her dog to find her roommate Max broken.” he stopped talking once Gavin gave him a quick glance, his face was a mixture of confused and focused.

“Broken? No, no we don’t say broken anymore, even if it’s an android we say murdered, got it?” Reed said and Nines just nodded in response.” Keep going.” he opened the door for Nines, letting him in before heading down the stairs.

Loud footsteps echoed down the hall as the slowly made their was to the evidence room “We arrived at the crime scene exactly fifteen after we received the call, the victim was found on the kitchen floor, there were no fingerprints. However, there was a footprint stained with the victim’s blood, the weapon was a baseball bat, at least what we could piece from it, you see it was damaged.” Nines said as they reached the large glass door. “We questioned her roommate and she said the victim had no enemies nor she had ever come in contact with android haters, it seems like this murder a strictly planned one.” Nines finished as Gavin pulled out a card and pressed it against the touch pad, unlocking the door so they can progress further. 

“What makes you think that? Do that palm thingy and show me pictures, I know you can do that crap.” Gavin said as he typed in his password on the touch pad in front of them. A loud noise echoed through the room before the evidence surfaced in front of them. Just as Nines had said, the amount of evidence they managed to gather was close to nothing. Besides a piece of a broken bat there was nothing else to work with.

“Detective you have a folder with the photographs right there.” Nines said in a monotone voice.

“I know,” Gavin replied cockily “but I also know you definitely took more pictures to store in your database.” he grinned, proud of himself for knowing such informations, the android may not be the Nines he loved but he was still an RK900 model.

“Very well detective” he replied, raising his hand and pointing his palm towards Gavin’s direction. Reed observed the photographs silently, his eyes were scanning each picture, searching for a clue they might’ve missed.

“Anyway back to what I mentioned earlier” Nines suddenly spoke up “there’s a strange detail I noticed upon arriving at the crime scene.” Gavin just looked up at quickly, clicking his tongue as an indication to keep talking. “I scanned the amount of thirium inside the victim’s body and around it, exactly 25% of it is missing.” he finished.

“What do you mean missing?” Gavin raised an eyebrow, a second question followed a second after the first one “You think somebody took her blood?” he turned around towards the bat.

“Exactly, the amount of blood found there was too low and the way she was murdered was odd too,” Nines stepped closer to Gavin, showing him another picture. It was a close up of the victims neck port. “Both of her knees were damaged to keep her from escaping, then her neck port was opened to drain her but I suppose she was struggling quite a lot because the killer took too long to finish her leaving him with no time...” Gavin interrupted him before he could finish his sentence “He had no time to take more because thirium evaporates, he was in a hurry and missed his chance to drain her. You’re right Nines, this shit had to follow a strict plan otherwise it would’ve failed completely.” Reed said quickly. 

Nines just nodded and blinked softly, for a moment Gavin forgot that they were trying to solve a case. He stared into Nines’ icy eyes, they looked so emotionless, so empty, so dead. A sharp pain pierced his chest when he remembered why there were that way, why Nines was this way. It was all because Gavin failed to protect him, no body accused him of it but deep down they all knew it was Gavin’s fault. He wanted to wrap his arms around him and promise to keep him safe from now on but he knew he couldn’t do that so he promised himself that no matter what happens, he’ll never let down Nines ever again. From now on Gavin will be the one protecting him.

“Have there been similar cases to this one? Or is this the first time this type of shit happened?” Gavin asked.

“I overheard a conversation between lieutenant Anderson and Connor last night,” Nines said while his LED blinked blue for a few seconds “they were discussing a case where an android had been abducted, taken to an unfamiliar building and then returned back home, almost completely drained of thirium. Do you think these two might be connected?” he asked.

“Definitely but why the fuck would anybody be stealing blue blood, what the fuck do they get from it?” Gavin scratched his nose again, while staring at the floor blankly.

“Illegal android trafficking maybe? They might be stealing thirium and other various parts to build and upgrade android for illegal purposes.” Nines suggested. 

“I’m not sure, do you think Connor and Hank are here now, we should talk to them.” Gavin suggested.

“Good thinking detective, we should head back upstairs.” he replied and walked towards the entrance. Reed just stood there for a few seconds, quietly observing him walk. He smiled to himself, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, maybe Connor was right, maybe there was a way to fix this. He considered talking him back home, it would be nice to have him back but at the same time, Gavin was unsure if he could take being next to somebody who doesn’t love him back all the time, he needed more time to think. Unfortunately, this was no place or time to think about that so he proceeded to follow right after Nines. He walked right behind Nines, the atmosphere was less tense than earlier that morning but still not completely comfortable. They glanced at Anderson’s desk, neither of them were there yet. Nines’ LED switched from blue to yellow then back to blue.

“How come you came earlier than them? You’re staying over at their place so why did you come alone?” Gavin said causing the android to revert his attention back to him.

“Lieutenant takes his time to get ready and just like any other human, he must have a proper breakfast. Unfortunately, I have no time to waste and came here by myself.” he said coldly, his words still absolutely meaningless.

“That old fart takes a long ass time to get ready then.” Gavin scoffed while slowly walking towards his seat. Once he reached his desk, he threw himself on the chair and raised his feet on the desk, Nines stood in front of him, his LED flickered, before he spoke up again.

“That reminds me, detective have you had breakfast today? he said as he placed his hands on Gavin’s shoes, pushing them slowly off the desk.

“No,” Gavin said “had no time to eat, I’ll do it later.” his feet met the ground with a loud thump, he spun around on his chair to look away from the man before him.

“Based on my analysis, the last time you ate was yesterday morning. Why haven’t you eaten detective?” Nines asked as he made his way to his desk, he slowly sat down on the chair, placing his arms on the plastic surface in front of him.

“Fuck!” Gavin thought to himself. He had completely forgotten to have a proper meal since yesterday. Last night was tough, he barely remembers anything from yesterday, not like he wanted to remember it anyway. He sighed deeply, thinking about how messy his life is becoming. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Reed finally spoke up “I’ll eat later, we have work to do, don’t we?” he asked and scratched his stubble.

“Of course we do detective but it’s important for you to take care of yourself otherwise we won’t be able to do our duty.” Nines response was said in such a monotone tone Gavin couldn’t help but feel a bit insulted. He didn’t care about Gavin’s wellbeing, he only cared about their case.

“Of course,” Gavin scoffed “I’m nothing more than a tool to you, you only need me for work. Probably don’t give two fucks about me.” he quickly got up from his chair, glancing again at Tina’s desk.

“You’re wrong detective, my only two missions are to complete my tasks and make sure my partner’s in good shape.” Niles responded.

“Why should my wellbeing matter to you? Calling me a partner’s not any better either, you don’t give two flying fucks about me.” Gavin squeezed his fist, his chest ached from just thinking about it, he knew Niles couldn’t care about him, he was nothing more than a machine. “What the fuck am I to you Nines? What am I to you?” he asked before storming off to Tina. 

Nines just stared at him, processing each of his questions thoroughly, his LED flashed yellow for a second. What was Gavin to him? Did he really matter or was he just important for the missions, nothing more but a tool to be used? An error popped up, clouding Nines’ thoughts, he dismissed it immediately and got back to work, leaving Gavin’s questions unanswered.

Gavin footsteps echoed through the, now busy, office before stopping in front of Tina’s desk. He sighed loudly and ran his fingers through his hair. “I said dumb shit earlier, pizza at my place later today to make it up for it?” Gavin asked as the woman looked up at him. She frowned before rolling her eyes. “I’ll buy you those cocktails you like.” he spoke up again but Tina remained silent. Reed grunted loudly “Come in T, we can even watch those stupid horror films from the nineties you like.” his voice indicated that he was annoyed.

Tina looked at him up and down before smiling “It’s a deal then.” she replied.

“Thanks.” Gavin said as he noticed Connor walking towards his desk, closely followed by Hank. “Gotta go, you’re the best T.” he said quickly as he darted towards Connor.

“I know I am!” Tina shouted from behind him, grinning sneakily. 

He walked towards the two men before stopping at their desk, he waited for a few seconds before Connor greeted him with a warm and comforting smile. Hank followed right behind him, nodding his head as a greeting. They slowly reached their desks when Gavin felt a presence behind him, it was Nines, he noticed then too. 

“Morning Gavin!” Connor smiled as he looked at him before looking at the other android “Hello RK900.” but his greeting was met with a frown.

“Call him Nines.” Gavin said quickly, not willing to elaborate on it.

“Oh!” his LED flickered red for a split second “Nines it is then.” his lips curled in a warm smile once again.

“What do you need?” Hank asked, voice raspy and deep as always. His hair was neatly tied in a bun, beard trimmed and styled. He looked very handsome. Connor on the other hand, was wearing a standard police uniform, Nines should’ve been wearing the same but for some mysterious reason, he was dressed in his previous android uniform. 

“We need to talk about your case involving the kidnapping of that android,” Reed replied “we think it might be connected to our case.” he finished as the android just nodded his head silently.

Hank bent down to sit in his chair while Connor leaned on his desk “I’m all ears” he replied before Gavin spoke up again, explaining and comparing the evidence they’ve previously gathered.

Hank couldn’t help but notice how surprisingly calm Gavin was, he never appreciated Gavin’s loud yelling and swearing but he’d take that over this any day. It was unsettling to see him so out of character. Hank glanced at Connor a few times but it seemed like he hasn’t noticed how oddly Gavin was dealing with his problem. Connor was still unable to process all human emotions and understand how human brain functioned. Despite him being a deviant, some things were still far out of his reach, he’ll most likely never be able to fully understand the human mind and Hank can only thank Cyberlife for their shitty job. Hank lost himself in analyzing Reed to the point where he had no idea what they were talking about but once all three men stopped talking he asked Gavin if they could talk in private. Gavin just nodded and followed him a bit further away from his desk, leaving the two androids alone.

“Yeah?” Gavin said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Listen, I know this is tough but you can’t cling onto something you no longer have.” Anderson’s voice was raspy and rough but comforting in a strange way. 

“What?” he replied, he chose to play dumb. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his emotions, he just wanted to distract himself and solve the case.

“Don’t play dumb,” Hank said, running his fingers through his silver hair “you named him after Nines, it’s not bad to hold onto memories but don’t try to bring back a person that’s no longer with us.” he knew his words were harsh but Gavin needed that, he needed somebody to remind him to stay grounded.

“Listen old man I’m not holding onto anything, I’m fine so you can stop patronizing me now.” he replied quickly, avoiding eye contact as he spoke before turning around and walking back to Nines, nudging him to follow him to Fowlers office. Hank signed loudly, he felt helpless knowing that there was nothing he could do to help him. He wondered if Reed felt the same when Cole died. 

“Is everything alright Hank?” Connor smiled brightly. 

“Don’t ya think Gavin’s dealing with this in an unhealthy way?” he asked while making his way back to his seat.

“He seems better than yesterday,” Connor said as he sat down “however, it is strange that he named 900 after Nines.” his LED flickered blue for a split second.

“He’s stubborn.” Hank sat down opposite of Connor “He’ll end up hurting himself, he has zero fucking idea how to deal with it.” his eyes met Connor’s as he spoke.

“I suppose you’re right.” Connor looked in the direction of Fowler’s office and watched as the two of them talked to the captain. “Do you think he’s in danger?” he asked quickly.

“Reed? Definitely, he’ll screw himself over sooner or later.” Anderson sighed, his blue eyes looking down on his hands “He can’t pretend forever, it’s just the matter of time.”

“Is there something we could do help him?” Connor asked, eyes still fixated on the two of them.

“I don’t think so,” Hank leaned back in his chair “I don’t think so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pretends like it hasn’t been a month since the last update* more moody Gavin you say? coming right up!!!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think!


	3. “Not to me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this chapter contains mild robogore, just wanted to put that out in case that’s not your cup of tea.

Hank’s words echoed in Gavin’s mind, he tried to ignore what Hank had said, he tried to deny it but deep down he knew he was running away from his problems. The easiest thing to do was to pretend, to run away, it was the only thing he knew how to do. This wasn’t the first time he chose to pretend like nothing happened. The first time was the night he found out his dad had been cheating on his mom. He had an affair with another woman, his old man lived a double life, even had a kid with her. Gavin was six when he found out about it, he couldn’t quite understand what happened, all he knew was that one day he came home and found his mother crying, dad who knows where. He grew up without him, got to meet his half brother in high school, the kid was a jerk but he liked him anyway, he was a smart bastard. He soon learned that their father moved away to Europe, leaving their mothers to raise them on their own. The only difference between the two of them was the fact that Gavin’s mother wasn’t wealthy like Elijah’s was, his mother had to work two jobs to feed the two of them. It wasn’t easy, Gavin had to grow up sooner than any kid ever should, he wanted to help out too but got himself in trouble. 

When he was thirteen he got into some shady business, started selling drugs to get some money on the side, it got him in a lot of trouble. One night a very angry man came for him, broke into his home and took him away, apparently Gavin sold him some crap instead of heroin. Gavin had no idea what he had sold the man, after all he was just being used. Nobody would suspect a kid to sell drugs around the neighborhood and even if he got caught they knew he wouldn’t snitch on them. Fear is a powerful emotion and they knew exactly how to make Gavin scared enough to keep his mouth shut. The man demanded to answers Gavin couldn’t provide, he didn’t care about anything, he didn’t care about Gavin’s pleads. He took him somewhere far away, locked him in a basement, demanded to know who gave him that shit, demanded Gavin to give him back the money. Of course Gavin had none, he had spent all on food. He was absolutely terrified, had no idea what he would do to him. He was locked with him for only a few hours before help came. The man beat the living hell out of him, in just those few hours the man managed to break Gavin’s nose and three of his ribs. He didn’t care that Gavin was just a teenage boy, he simply didn’t care. Gavin was never the same after that encounter, he changed. 

“Hey captain!” Gavin shouted as he swung the office doors opened “I think we have some interesting information about the new case involving the murder of that android.” he said quickly.

Fowler looked up from his computer, putting whatever he was working on on hold “What do you have Reed?” he asked.

Gavin stepped into the office first and Nines followed shortly after him. The two of them stood right in front of Fowler’s desk, their height difference was best noticeable when they stood next to each other. Reed was much shorter than Nines, however his body was much bulkier than Nines’. Nines stayed silent as Gavin talked, explaining the similarities in their and Anderson’s case. His LED kept switching between blue and yellow, he made sure to memorize everything while carefully listening to Gavin, making sure he doesn’t miss out any useful information they pieced together. He glanced to his left and saw Connor looking at him, no, not at him, he was observing Gavin. Nines soon looked away, not bothered by the other android’s staring problem, he had better things to do, he was on a mission and nothing could ever stop him from accomplishing it.

“I can’t say I don’t see the resemblance,” Fowler said, leaning back into his chair “but you need to have real proof Reed, you should know that already.” he looked away from Gavin to quickly glance to his phone after it vibrated loudly. 

“I don’t but...” but before Gavin could finish his sentence captain interrupted him “No buts Gavin,” Fowler shook his head “if you have no evidence there’s nothing we can do about it.” 

Gavin just sighed loudly, swearing under his breath as he let Fowler continue, he knew he needed evidence but at the moment there was nothing he could do about it. He glanced over at Nines, he was still silent but he noticed Nines’ LED blinking yellow aggressively, deep down he knew the android was frustrated about it too. 

“Look I’ve got something that might help,” Fowler said quickly “there’s been a new murder involving an android, if you manage to get some solid evidence to connect these cases I’ll team you up with Anderson and Connor.” he turned towards his computer once again.

“What? Fuck no! That’s not what I asked for.” Gavin shouted “I don’t need them to help me, I have this tin can here for that I just wanted to let you know.” he scoffed as he shifted nervously. “I can solve this on my own.” he crossed his arms and stared at Fowler.

“I have no time to argue Reed, find a connection and I’ll help you out whether you like it or not, now check your damn phone, I sent you the address of the crime scene.” he waved his hand, gesturing for them to leave.

“Fuck.” Gavin exhaled sharply as he turned towards the door, tugging on Nines’ arm to follow him. The android didn’t resist it, he let himself be dragged by the shorter man. “Goodbye captain.” he said as he exited the room but Fowler said nothing in response just nodded silently. Nines walked behind Gavin quietly as he went back to his desk to grab his jacket, he seemed tense and nervous. Nines wasn’t equipped with good social skills like Connor was but still decided to be vocal about the detective’s state, after all his mission was to insure his partner was safe and healthy.

“You seem upset detective, how may I be of service?” he asked as they made their way to the elevator.

“Not in the mood.” Reed’s reply was short and cold.

“As you wish.” Nines replied, LED blinking blue for a few seconds. He stayed silent from that point on, quietly following him in the elevator that led them to a narrow hallway. It was an underground parking garage, Nines had never been in that part of the building, he looked around, observing the vehicles carefully. Hank had a habit of parking his car on the parking lot outside the building, Nines noticed he parked in a specific spot. Apparently he parked there because it was Connor’s favorite spot, it was under a big old oak tree, a lovely sight to see in such a busy town. Nines never understood why Connor liked that tree, he never understood Connor’s weird fascination with plants. He interfaced with him many times, he saw Connor’s memories, he saw him working on a case to stop the deviants, he saw him search for Jericho before finally reaching it. Connor’s memories were a mess in Nines’ opinion, they were weird and made his system glitch with error notifications. 

“Are you coming or what?” Gavin asked as he stood by his car, fingers tapping on the glass as he waited for Nines to pay attention to his words.

“Yes.” Nines replied quickly before opening the passenger door. He made himself comfortable once he got inside. Surprisingly, his vehicle was neat and clean. Nines looked at him as he buckled up, he still seemed upset, his program indicated that it would be the best to comfort the man next to him.

“Detective,” he spoke up “you shouldn’t feel down, you’re an excellent detective and captain Fowler had no intention of upsetting you.” Nines finished.

Gavin scoffed loudly, running his finger through his hair before starting the car. “I’m not hurt tin can.” Gavin said, pulling out of the parking lot “Excellent detective you say?” he asked.

“Yes,” Nines confirmed “I think you’re a skilled professional.” he said, eyes still fixated on Gavin.

“You think?” Gavin frowned. “That can’t be right, he’s a machine” Gavin thought to himself. Machines can’t think, they have no free will to do so, was it possible that Nines was slowly deviating? 

Nines LED spun yellow for a few seconds “It’s what I’ve gathered from your records, if you weren’t good at what you do, we wouldn’t be here. Isn’t that right detective?” he said as he looked away from Gavin to observe the outside world.

“Ah of course,” he rolled his eyes “everything is just informations to you, you can’t think of anything by yourself.” Gavin sighed loudly. Of course Nines was only analyzing him, he was fucking stupid for thinking Nines had a solid opinion of him. Maybe Anderson was right, maybe he really was just holding onto memories.

“Do me a favor and get my cigs out of the pocket.” Gavin mumbled as he drove to the address Fowler gave him. 

“Detective you do realize these are very harmful for your health?” Nines said before Gavin repeated his sentence in a mocking tone. He rolled his eyes once again before speaking up again “I’m fucking aware now get them out.” his tone clearly indicated how stressed he was becoming. Nines just nodded and leaned in to get them out for him. He couldn’t understand Gavin’s desire to harm himself but at the same time he knew humans were often self destructive. Before opening it, Nines scanned the packaging, he gathered useful informations on the product in his hand and learned a few things that might be useful in the future. He took out one cigarette and looked at the man next to him, both of Gavin’s hands were placed steadily on the wheel, his LED blinked blue a few times before he pressed it against Gavin’s lips. 

“The hell?” Gavin flinched causing the android to drop the cigarette between his legs.

“I can’t light it for you,” Nines responded “I have no lungs.” he reached for the cigarette, gently brushing against Gavin’s thigh with the back of his palm. A shiver ran down Gavin’s spine as he felt Nines press against him, it was quick and barely noticeable but at the same time it burned with an ache for more. 

“Yeah I get it,” Gavin scoffed “just uh,” he shifted in his seat “just put it in my mouth and light it for me, the lighter is” but he didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because Nines had already pressed the cigarette between his lips. Nines pulled out a lighter out of his front pocket and with a swift move of a finger light it up, he brought the flame closer to the cigarette and Gavin inhaled sharply. Reed knew Nines couldn’t feel the tension between the two of them rise, it was oddly arousing Gavin thought to himself. He felt his pulse quicken as he glanced over at Nines, his hand was so close to his face and his face wasn’t further away either. The android’s icy eyes were focused on the spot where the tobacco and the flame met, his LED blinked blue for a second or two, Gavin couldn’t tell because it happened so quickly, too quickly. He looked so gorgeous, so perfect, Gavin couldn’t remember the last time Nines was this close to him, he could clearly see each dot and freckle on his face, he was perfect, too perfect. 

“Detective.” the android’s eyes met Gavin’s, his piercing gaze frightening Gavin in the best way possible. Nines leaned in closer, a cloud of smoke the only barrier between the two of them, Gavin’s eyes fluttered as he let out a barely audible “Yeah?” 

“Eyes on the road.” he said as he placed his hand under Gavin’s chin, pushing it slightly upwards just enough so Gavin could feel the cold pressure against his skin. Gavin said nothing, he was too flustered to say anything. With a loud exhale he looked back onto the road in front of him trying to ignore whatever the hell this was. 

“Nines,” he finally spoke up, eyes still focused on the road “I have a name, you should use it instead of calling me detective all the damn time.” Gavin said as he sharply inhaled more smoke.

“Wouldn’t that be unprofessional?” the android asked, his poor choice of words upsetting Gavin right away.

“Yeah forgot I’m disposable to you, nothing more than another sack of meat to work with.” Reed’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he felt his stomach drop. Somehow, it hurt even more to say that out loud than it was to think about it, perhaps it was because he knew Nines could confirm it and that unsettled him deeply. His mind raced as his eyes stayed glued on to the road, the android was quiet, Gavin didn’t dare to even glance at him, he just kept on driving.

“You shouldn’t question my loyalty,” the android spoke up finally, shattering the silence like it was glass, shaking Gavin to the core with his response “Reed.” he finished his sentence and Gavin felt his throat tighten. “Reed” it echoed in Gavin’s head, the way the android said it, the way it rolled off his tongue, so sharp and cold but yet soft and meaningful. 

“Fine.” was the only word Gavin managed to let out, he didn’t want the android to know how much his words meant to him. Again, he wondered if there was any hope Nines could remember him, he’d rather die than show Nines how much he appreciates him. Gavin was never an expert at showing emotions, he never knew what to say or do to show how he felt. He never knew how to express himself which often lead to him being cold and distant towards people around him.

He exhaled sharply as they reached their destination, an old house, just from one glance you could tell the place was uninhabitable. The paint was slowly peeling off the walls, windows shattered and pipes rusty of old age and unmerciful weather of Detroit. It was unsettling to look at, the whole place screamed danger and for a split second, Gavin wished they weren’t there. Right on the side of the house there was a police officer talking to somebody, the person next to him seemed frightened and was probably the one who made the call. Reed parked his car next to a police motorcycle, “Ready for some action?” he asked as he put out his cigarette, trying to get in his usual cocky mood. Nines nodded and exited the car first, Gavin followed right away, with heavy footsteps they made their way to the two people in front of them. 

“Hello!” Nines greeted “This is detective Reed,” he gestured towards the shorter man, who showed his badge right away, “and I’m his partner Nines. We’ve been informed there was a murder here and would like to inform you that we’ll be taking this case from now on.” Nines wasted no time to chat any further, he headed straight inside the house leaving Gavin and the two other people behind. Reed stayed with the two of them, he let Nines go look around while he gathered some informations from the person that made the call. 

The doors creaked loudly as Nines opened them, the amount of dust that covered the place indicated that nobody lived here in awhile. It didn’t take long for him to find the victim. A lifeless body of an android laid in the middle of an empty room. Nines scanned him before approaching, the stats of the victim were unsettling, more than ten biocomponents were heavily damaged and the thirium level of the android was on pathetic 5%. On closer inspection, he noticed that the android’s torso had been damaged beyond repair, various components hung loosely from the exposed chest, the slashes were messy, Nines assumed the weapon that had been used to gut the victim was a knife. He looked around the room, there was no evidence of a possible weapon but he noticed messy footprints that were left in the deep layer of dust. Nines followed them before the disappeared in front of a large broken window, to his dismay, no fingerprints were to be found. He followed to footprints back to the room where the body was, only to find Gavin, squatting next to it, inspecting it closely.

“Det-“ he started but corrected himself quickly “Reed,” Nines said as Gavin looked towards him “I found footprints leading towards a broken window, it seems like our suspects already left the scene.” he finished, LED spinning yellow as he processed the newly found out information.

“Fuck,” Reed replied, dragging his hand over his face “well that’s unfortunate.” he shrugged as he got up. “What else do you know?” he asked as he approached Nines.

“Plenty of the android’s components have been damaged, thirium level is barely on 5%, seems like it’s connected to our previous cases.” Nines replied as he looked around “I haven’t located the murder weapon yet but it seems to be a knife or another similar sharp object.”

“Knew it,” Gavin scoffed “anyway the person that called said that they heard screaming and banging noises from the house before they called, they were unsettled to hear such noises coming from an abandoned house. Do you know the victim’s name?” he asked as he walked towards, what seemed to be, a kitchen.

“Model WR600, registered as Sebastian Jackson.” Nines said as his LED switched from blue to red “His spouse’s name is Mia Jackson, they got married two months ago.” his LED returned back to blue as he finished his sentence.

“Fucking hell,” Reed exclaimed from the kitchen “I don’t want to be the one that has to break the news.” he said as he walked towards an old staircase. “Have you checked upstairs?” Gavin asked but before Nines could reply he was already at the top of them. 

“I haven’t so proceed with caution.” Nines replied as he scanned the room once again, his LED spun red as he realized the footprints towards the stairs weren’t only Gavin’s. A gunshot echoed through the house, Nines sprinted up the stairs with inhuman speed. He found himself in a long corridor “Detective?!” he yelled as he rushed towards a room on the far left. 

“Careful he has a gun!” Gavin shouted back.

Nines pulled out his and followed the sound of Gavin’s voice. He pressed his back against the door frame, peering inside as he spoke up. “DPD don’t move!” he said as he looked at the suspect “I won’t hesitate to shoot, surrender or I’ll be forced to hurt you!” Nines shouted. He could see the man perfectly from this angle but would be forced to move in order to get a clear shoot. 

“Shut the fuck up!” the man yelled “Shut the fuck up or I’ll kill him just shut up.” the man’s hands shook as he placed his finger on the trigger. 

“Detective are you hurt?” Nines called out, eyes still fixated on the other man, LED switching from yellow to red constantly.

“I’m fine, fucker can’t aim for shit, the bullet just grazed me.” Gavin replied. 

“Shut up or I’ll blow your face off!” the man yelled, now aiming the gun straight at Gavin’s face.

Nines LED spun red as he preconstructed what he was about to do, he minimized the chances of Gavin getting hurt to 3% which meant the chances of him being damaged were high but that didn’t matter as long as he was safe. 

“I’d like to see you try fucker.” Gavin grinned as he felt around for his gun.

Without a second warning, Nines bolted towards the suspect causing the man to shift his attention from Gavin to Nines. The fear in the man’s eyes was visible as he pulled the trigger twice, missing Nines each time. The third time he aimed straight at Nines’ head, the android was less than a foot away from him now, he closed his eyes tightly but before he could pull the trigger, he heard a loud bang followed by a sharp pain in his leg. He stumbled forwards, pulling the trigger and grazing Nines’ cheek before falling forwards. With a loud thud, the man was on the floor, wailing in pain while gripping his leg where the bullet had hit him. Nines quickly apprehended him and Gavin put his gun away, rushing towards Nines. 

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” Gavin yelled as he dropped to his knees. “What the hell was that?! You could’ve died!” he placed his hands on Nines cheeks, inspecting the scratch carefully. 

“I’m fine Reed.” Nines said as he sat on top of the man, he was still squirming in pain but for some odd reason Nines couldn’t care. The look on Gavin’s face made him forget everything, he looked upset and sad at the same time, Nines couldn’t understand the emotions that overtook Gavin. He scanned him, noticing right away that his stress level was high. 

“Fine my ass, you could’ve died, I had it under control!” Gavin yelled again, letting go of Nines’ face once he was sure the damage wasn’t fatal.

Nines’ LED flickered yellow as he spoke “You were in danger, I did what I had to protect you.” he slowly got up, pulling the wounded man with him.

“Why the hell did you use your gun? Do you think those are here just for show of what?!” Reed got back to his feet too, eyes still glued on Nines’ damaged face.

“There was a 75% chance you would charge at the suspect once I moved,” he pulled the man out of the room and Gavin followed right away “I couldn’t risk accidentally hitting you.” he finished.

“Fuck that!” Reed yelled as he stood in the middle of the hallway “You could’ve fucking died!”

“I can’t die, I’m not alive.” Nines said as he spotted the officer from before carefully going up the stairs. “Call an ambulance!” he shouted at the officer that ran towards the two of them, taking over the wounded man.

Nines felt strong arms grip his shoulders, before he could process it, he was pinned against a wall. Gavin looked furious, his whole face was red with rage and Nines didn’t dare to move under his grip.

“What do you fucking mean not alive?!” Gavin shouted in his face, causing his LED to go back to red. “You talk, you think, you have blood flowing through your stupid fucking pipes,” Reed slammed the wall under his hand “not alive my ass, you’re a dumbass that’s what you are!”

“Detective, I’m nothing but a machine, I am replaceable, you however,” Nines gently put his hand over the cut on Gavin’s arm “you’re not.” 

“Fuck you!” he moved away from the android “Fuck you!” he yelled again, this time louder. “You’re not replaceable,” Gavin said as he walked towards the stairs “not to me.” he whispered. 

Nines said nothing, he just silently observed his partner, slowly descending down the stairs. “Not to me.”, “not to me.” Gavin’s sentence echoed in Nines’ head. His LED switched from red to yellow then to blue as he tried to understand the meaning of it, as he tried to understand what it means to have somebody who cares. Suddenly, an error popped up, blurring Nines’ view as he tried to catch up with Reed. “Not to me.” the sentence repeated itself one final time as Nines reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked up at Gavin. He was staring out of the window, face a little bit less red than it was while he was screaming at him. With shaky hands, he reached into his pocket and took out the same pack of cigarettes he had in the car. He took out a cigarette and looked towards Nines, he shook his head and looked away before dropping his gaze to the ground as he smiled. His smile was gentle and soft, loving in an odd way. Another error popped up and Nines felt his software instability rising.


	4. Hold me down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, this chapter contains smut so beware! Also, sorry it took so long to update, life has been one hell of a roller coaster recently so yeah. Hope you enjoy!

Gavin had just finished preparing dinner when he heard a loud knock on the front door. He shifted his gaze towards a clock on the wall, it was ten PM and he wasn’t expecting any company but decided to go check it out anyway. He dragged his feet across the cold floor, grunting silently as he made his way towards the door.

His kitchen smelt like scrambled eggs with a hint of grilled cheese, he had been more than tired to cook a proper meal that night. At the moment he couldn’t have cared less about his diet and choose to eat whatever he had on hand. The thought of going to the store and buying ingredients for a proper meal wasn’t appealing, too much work, he thought.

“Who is it?” Gavin asked, voice slightly raspy. 

His question was met with silence. He cleared his throat and asked again, this time louder. “Who’s there?” His bottom lip twitched as he spoke, still slightly sore from the punch he got earlier.

His day shitty enough already, a fucked up case and an argument with his plastic partner were more than enough to ruin his mood. He was annoyed, hungry but most importantly, extremely exhausted. The thought of a nice shower and a good night sleep were the only two things he could focus on. 

Once again his question was met with silence, blood rushed to his face as he angrily gripped the door handle, twisting it violently as he swung the door open. There in front of him stood his partner, soaking wet, Gavin had been so busy with preparing his meal he didn’t even notice it started to rain. The android’s icy eyes met Reed’s, his gaze felt somehow warmer than usual, it felt uncomfortably human. Rain drops slowly slid down his face, dripping slowly from his messy brown curls.

“Good evening Reed.” Nines greeted, “I’d like to talk to you about what happened today, I’d like to apologize.” he smiled brightly, exposing his sharp fangs.

“Uh...” Gavin’s eyes never left Nines’, he was mesmerized by the absolute coldness they radiated, so terrifyingly cool but oddly comforting.

“May I come in?” He asked, patiently waiting for the other man to reply.

The cool evening air caressed Gavin’s cheeks as he stood there silently, contemplating whether he had the guts to let him in. His cheeks burned from the cold, his whole body shivered as the wind howled mercilessly. He exhaled loudly, eyes still fixated on Nines’ and nodded, stepping away from the door to let the android in.

“Make it quick plastic,” Gavin scoffed as he hurried to close the door, “I’d like to rest tonight.” He finished and locked the doors behind him.

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to disturb your peace.” The android said, LED flickering a pale blue shade as he spoke.

“Well you already have so,” he stopped to take Nines’ coat, “just talk.” Gavin said as he set the warm clothing item away.

“As you wish.” He smiled, exposing his inhuman teeth once again.

Gavin felt the atmosphere change, the initial dread upon seeing him slowly faded away as he spoke. He felt relaxed, almost relieved Nines was here, it was an odd feeling Gavin couldn’t describe.

The two of them went into the living room and made themselves comfortable on the large couch placed in front of the television. They faced each other, sitting right one across another but neither dared to say a thing. Gavin could tell Nines was scanning him, the android’s LED wouldn’t stop shifting from blue to yellow. 

“So?” Gavin finally spoke up, shattering the silence like it was an object one could break.

“I’m sorry.” Nines said, the worlds rolled off his tongue so easily, so heartlessly.

“Why are you apologizing?” Gavin raised an eyebrow. His question was valid, what was the android apologizing for? Was this a part of a protocol or just another thing he was programmed to say to please a human dumb enough to believe it.

“For upsetting you,” Nines replied while slowly leaning in to get closer to Gavin, “you were quite upset today, weren’t you?” He asked.

“I-I...” Gavin stuttered out as he felt a cold hand press against his knee before it traveled up, settling itself on Gavin’s thigh with a strong grip. “What,” he stuttered out once again, “what the fuck are you doing?” He finally asked.

“Whatever you wish for Gavin,” Nines leaned in, lips just inches away from Gavin’s, “your word is my command.” He finished as he dragged his tongue over Gavin’s bottom lip.

The sensation was painful, cold, slow but yet so sweet and gentle. Gavin couldn’t do anything but gasp and melt into Nines’ touch. He wrapped his arms around the android’s neck, pulling him closer and forcing him to sit in his lap. The android didn’t resist, he had no desire to, he let himself be handled by the man in front of him. Their lips met, the soft sensation of them touching made Gavin shiver, it made him weak. He opened his mouth slightly more, inviting the other man’s tongue inside. The android didn’t waste a second, he pushed himself in roughly, forcing them to engage in a sloppy kiss. Suddenly, the air felt ticker, Gavin struggled to breathe as his hands ruffled and pulled on the android’s face. His movements were frantic, desperate, he had almost forgotten how sweet Nines’ lips were. 

He pulled away unexpectedly, saliva running down his chin, “Nines what the hell is going on?” Gavin asked, still panting for air.

Nines just grinned, completely silent, closing the distance between the two of them again, “Take me Gavin.” He whispered against Reed’s lips.

A deep growl bubbled from Gavin’s throat as he let those soft lips press against his once again. His doubts and any sense of rational thinking escaped him, leaving him a horny mess. He was no longer bothered by Nines’ death, no longer bothered by his coldness and formalness, all he could think about was that soft damp tongue exploring his mouth. 

“Fuck Nines.” Gavin hissed against Nines’ lips as he felt him press down on his crotch, teasing his half hard dick.

“Come on Reed.” Nines’ said as he jerked his hips forwards quickly, “Make me feel like I am human again.” He moaned out as he felt Gavin’s teeth sink into his neck.

Gavin wasted no time now, he knew what he had to do, he knew how to make him feel good. His hands trembled as he pulled off the android’s sweater, exposing his perfect synthetic skin that rested underneath it. He locked eyes with Nines as he let his hands travel around Nines’ torso, exploring it before resting on his pink small nipples. He tugged on them gently while observing the android’s reaction, a faint shimmer of blue sparkled across the android’s face. Gavin leaned in, mouth just an inch from Nines’ erect nipple. He dragged his lips over it teasingly before licking it gently. His mouth circled over it, over and over again, damping it in the process.

“G-Gavin!” Nines moaned out, his hands rested firmly on Gavin’s shoulders.

“Hmmn?” Gavin hummed against Nines’ nipple, lips still gently pressed against it.

“Please,” he sobbed, “please touch me, Gavin please.” His tone was desperate, slightly glitchy by the end of his sentence.

Gavin loved hearing him beg, he loved hearing him sob and cry as his body shivered repeatedly. He traced his hand down Nines’ chest till he reached his lower stomach, Gavin stopped there to gently caress him. His touch was light and gentle, his nails gently traced over the android’s body every now and then. Reed wanted to tease him, he wanted to hear him beg again but most of all, he wanted to show that he cared. Gavin loved him more than anything, words could not describe how much he loved and cared his partner. He simply loved with love that was more than love.

“Don’t worry baby,” he whispered, “I’ve got you.” Gavin winked as he unbuttoned Nines’ jeans. 

Nines quickly shifted his weight forward and propped himself on his knees, body pressed tightly against Gavin. Reed wasted to no time now, he pulled down Nines’ jeans along with his underwear. His own desire to touch Nines was overwhelming now, his hard dick twitched in his pants as he observed the half nude android sitting on his lap. Nines was flawless, he was beyond flawless. His pale skin sparkled under the bright lights illuminating Gavin’s living room. They highlighted each dot and freckle Cyberlife put on him, making his skin look more natural, more human like. He looked like a doll, a perfect, flawless doll worthy of everybody’s attention and admiration. 

A silent sigh escaped Reed’s lungs as he stared in awe, he couldn’t stop admiring the android that was finally his once again. His hand finally traveled down Nines crotch, setting itself between his legs. Nines just shivered as a response, as an encouragement to rub that blank space again. Gavin circled his fingers over it and reverted his attention to the android’s face. His cheeks were bright blue, LED spinning yellow without a break.

“Ha-harder!” Nines moaned out as he dig his nails into Gavin’s strong shoulders.

Gavin pressed his fingers harder into the smooth surface underneath them, dragging them slowly back and forth as the android cried out his name.

“Gavin! Gavin!” Nines moaned, body shivering with arousal.

“Gavin!” A voice called out his name but this time it wasn’t Nines, the voice was much softer.

Gavin shook his head in confusion.

“Gavin!” The name called out again. 

“Gavin!” The name echoed as he finally opened his eyes. 

He was laying on his back, staring at the blank ceiling as his name kept being called out over and over again. Reed blinked rapidly, trying to wake himself up from beautiful dream he considered a nightmare. 

“Gavin are you alive in there?!” A female voice called out, “Your doorbell is busted and you’re not answering my calls!” She yelled.

“Fuck wait!” Gavin replied as he sat up, rubbing his eyes gently, still in disbelief that the whole ordeal was nothing more than a dream.

He sighed loudly once he looked down on himself, a visible bulge in his sweatpants was more than enough to prove he enjoyed it. He quickly grabbed a blanket he left on the side if the couch and wrapped himself with it. 

“Open up! It’s the police!” The voice chuckled.

“Oh fuck off Tina!” Gavin replied as he rushed to open the door, gently pushing Lilith way from the door. She paced around excitedly, tail pointing upwards as she purred and meowed. 

Reed finally reached his door and unlocked it. As soon as he opened the door, he was handed a large pizza box and Tina bent down to pet the impatient kitten. 

“Well nice to see you too bitch.” Gavin rolled his eyes as he observed the two of them. Lilith nuzzled onto Tina’s hand repeated as Tina smiled.

“Hello sleepyhead.” She mocked him as she picked up the cat and stepped inside Gavin’s warm home. 

She took off her shoes and grabbed the slippers she always used when she visited. Tina knew Gavin’s place better than him, Gavin was unsure how that was even possible but she navigated her way around the house like she owned it.

“Your face is red and sweaty,” she noticed, “is everything okay?” She asked.

“I...” He started, eyes dropping to the box of pizza he was holding. He wanted to tell her but he didn’t know how, how was he supposed to describe what he was feeling at the moment when be barely understood it himself. “Honestly,” he looked up, straight into her eyes, “I don’t remember the last time I felt this bad.” He confessed.

“I’m so sorry,” Tina frowned and grabbed the pizza box. Gavin let her take it, he watched as she left it on the kitchen counter before coming back to him.

“Would you like to talk about it?” She asked.

“I don’t know what to tell you Tina.” He sighed.

He dropped his gaze to the floor once again as he felt her hug him. Her hands wrapped around his body and she held him tight, while pressing her face into his shoulder. Gavin froze for a second, his emotions overwhelming him. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. His eyes filled with tears slowly, the burned and itched as they blurred his vision. He did his best not to cry, he tried to focus on the fabric of Tina’s coat, he tried to focus on how her hair smelled. A sweet citrus like smell filled his lungs, he tried holding onto it, tried to focus on it but he failed.

“It hurts,” the tears streamed down his face, “it hurts so fucking much Tina.” He sobbed.

“I know but you have to stay strong okay?” Tina comforted him, “I believe in you Gavin.” She said.

Gavin felt his heart ache, she had always been there for him. She was what he considered a best friend, he was more than lucky to have her in his life. He was convinced Tina was his guardian angel, there was no other explanation for her kindness and devotion to their friendship.

“Thank you.” He choked on his words as he wiped his tears. 

“I know this is extremely hard but I believe everything will work out in the end.” She smiled gently. 

“I don’t know,” he looked away as Tina let go of him, “well seems like Lilith likes our pizza.” He said as he watched her try to open the box.

“Silly Lily!” Tina said with a baby voice as she ran over to put her down from the counter. “You silly bean what are you doing here?” She said, “Oh wait! She’s saying something!” She continued.

“What are you-“ Gavin was quickly interrupted by Tina’s baby voice again.

She says “Daddy needs to eat the pizza or else I’ll poop on his pillow!” 

“Oh god T,” Gavin rolled his eyes, “don’t call me daddy, for fucks sake.” His lips involuntary curved into a smile.

“See?!” Tina smiled back, “You’re feeling better already!” She finished.

Words could not describe how happy Gavin was to have her. She was truly a blessing.

“Let’s eat now before the pizza gets cold.” Tina said as she picked up the box and carried it into the living room.

She sat down on her usual spot and placed the pizza on the small table in front of her. Once the box was opened, the smell of warm gooey cheese filled the room. It reminded him of his college days, of how he used to survive by eating junk food all the time. He sat down beside her and took a slice. 

“So,” He said, mouth full of pizza, “I need to occupy myself with something, tell me how your date went?” he finished.

“Okay sure!” Tina smiled. “It went better than expected, I told you about her right?” she said as she took another bite.

“Yeah, North right?” Gavin asked as Lilith jumped into his lap, desperately begging for food. “The chick that used to date that Markus guy?” He asked again.

“Yes, yes!” Tina confirmed, “So listen to this, they were together for a few months and then,” Tina stopped to bite down on her food, “out of nowhere he tells her he likes that twink Simon.” She fished as he chewed.

“Can’t blame him,” Gavin replied as he tried to move the cat away from his dinner, “he’s a cute guy.” Gavin chuckled.

“Well he does have a good ass.” Tina laughed.

Gavin wanted to stay like this forever, just the two of them joking around while eating pizza. He missed the days where we wasn’t stressed, he missed the days where he wasn’t alone, he missed Nines. No matter how hard he tried to run, he couldn’t escape himself. He loved Nines and couldn’t get over the fact that his beloved partner no longer existed. It hurt, it hurt to know that Gavin wasn’t even a pleasant memory to him. 

He tried his best not to think about him but a distant memory crept into his mind. It was of the two of them, sharing a meal for the first time at Gavin’s place. After the android’s obtained their freedom, Cyberlife was in danger of shutting down. Their solution to that problem was to create thirium based food. Elijah Kamski played a big role in that, he got to his position and managed to save the company. What was once a hell for android’s became a friendly company specializing in making spare parts for android’s and providing them with human like food. Gavin didn’t know the chemistry behind it but he knew two things, despite the resemblance to normal food, android food was blue and it shouldn’t not be consumed by humans.

Gavin sighed softly as he thought of the two of them, eating ice cream on the living room floor while discussing how oblivious Hank was to Connor’s flirts. They laughed and joked while poking fun at the two of them mercilessly. It wasn’t the nicest thing to do but both of them found the situation between the old man and his hopelessly in love android incredibly entertaining. They talked and they talked until the android leaned in a placed a soft quick kiss on Gavin’s lips. He was perfect, fuck he was so perfect but he was gone, gone forever.

“Gavin?” Tina called out, “You’re spacing out, are you okay?” She asked.

“Oh yeah, yeah just,” he let out a deep sigh, “just thinking about him.” His bottom lip quivered as he spoke.

“I’m sorry.” Tina frowned, “Maybe you should go rest, you had a long day.” She suggested as she got up.

“No it’s okay,” he shook his head, “you can stay I don’t mind.” He told her.

“I know but you need to rest.” She ran her fingers through his hair, “Also shower, your hair is nasty.” She teased.

“Bitch.” Gavin scoffed playfully.

“Cunt.” Tina replied with a wink as she walked past him into the hallway to get her shoes.

“Hey T!” Gavin turned around to face her, “Thank you,” he smiled, “thank you for being here for me.” He said finally.

“No problem Gav.” Tina blushed, she got ready and headed towards the door, “Also Lily is eating your pizza.” She said as she left the house.

“What the?” Gavin turned around quickly, “No! Fuck! Lilith! Spit it out! Spit it!” He grabbed her and pulled a piece of salami out of her mouth.

As Tina left silence came in, cold and utter silence, a dreadful reminder of his situation. Gavin was alone once again, completely alone within the walls that once brought him joy. A deep sigh left his lungs, his chest ached as he set the food aside, his appetite was gone. His loud dragged footsteps were accompanied with the silent tapping of Lilith’s paws. Her tail was set up high and she followed Gavin around playfully, demanding attention from the exhausted man.

“Sorry princess,” Gavin said, “not tonight, I’m tired.” He said as he passed through the door and threw himself on the bed. 

His body bounced up as he hit the soft mattress, he had no desire to get in the shower, he had no desire to do anything. His phone buzzed loudly as it vibrated on the bedside table. Gavin had no strength to roll over to the other side of the bed to see what happened. 

“Whatever.” Reed sighed loudly and closed his eyes. He felt a light pressure on his chest and opened his eyes to see Lilith’s big sparkly eyes. 

She let out a loud meow as she cuddled up on top of him, her whole body vibrated as she purred. Gavin’s gently placed his hand on top her, his lips curved into a soft smile as he stroked her soft fur. He kept petting her slowly, enjoying the sensation of her body shaking as she purred blissfully. Suddenly Gavin’s eyes felt heavy, his body light, he was slowly sinking into a peaceful dream when his phone buzzed again, and again, and again. He jolted upwards from his sleepy state, pushing the kitten off of him in the process. He scrambled to grab his phone and looked at the lit up screen. What he saw surprised him, the person calling him was none other but Nines.

“Um hello?” He picked up the call as he pressed the phone against his ear.

“Hello Reed,” the android said, “you weren’t replying to my messages, I asked if you were feeling alright after everything that happened today but you didn’t answer so I decided to call you.” Nines finished.

“No worries,” Gavin smiled, “I’m fine.” He replied.

“Alright, I apologize for disturbing you, rest well Reed.” Nines said.

“You too toaster.” He replied and hung up.

Hearing Nines’ voice gave him comfort, it made him feel safe like nothing else could. He was dumb and he knew it, this whole situation was dumb but hearing him talk, hearing his voice, it made him hopeful. He was well aware the hope he was feeding himself with was false and nothing more but torture but he couldn’t help himself. His mind wouldn’t allow him to move on, to let go, to let Nines go. 

Gavin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in, his body felt heavy and stiff but, despite the awful feeling in his gut, he got up. He decided to clean himself up, wash his hair, maybe even trim his beard. Those few seconds of hearing Nines’ voice were more than enough to motivate him to, at least try, take care of himself. But before he jumps in the shower, before he lets the cold water wash all his sorrows away, he’ll go outside and smoke one, maybe two cigarettes and hope that the sickening feeling in his stomach fades away along with his worries and pain.


	5. The case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..... I have no excuse for not updating in so long..... hope you enjoy!

Gavin rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. It was exactly six in the morning when his alarm went off and he had about thirty minutes of free time to enjoy his morning before he had to head to work. He made himself a cup of coffee while checking his phone, he had a few emails that were work related but decided to deal with those later, at the moment he just wanted to rest and relax. Lilith came running to him, purring and meowing loudly, she seemed excited, happy, happier than usual. He gently smiled as she rubbed around his legs.

“Why are you in such a good mood princess?” He asked, eyes still glued to the phone.

She let out a loud purr and he chuckled to himself, he felt oddly at peace that morning. He slowly made his way to the living room, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, not even bothering to look away from the screen as he walked. A notification popped up and Reed rolled his eyes. “New text message from Old man.” The notification said, it was Hank. Gavin had avoided talking to him for the last two days, each time he looked at the old man he felt extreme shame. He couldn’t just pretend that the whole incident at work didn’t happen. He felt so embarrassed over exposing himself in front of Hank like that, crying and clinging onto him like he was his savior. With a loud sigh he dismissed the notification and continued walking. Still not bothered to look up from his screen, Gavin walked into a chair and let out a silent grunt.

“Good morning Detective,” a familiar voice spoke firmly, “I have new information...” but the android was cut off before finishing his sentence as Gavin raised his hand and gestured a stop motion. 

He put his coffee aside casually, not even questioning how Nines got into his house and made his way to the liquor cabinet. He grabbed the first bottle he found, it was some cheap whiskey he bought not too long ago. For a second he struggled to open it but once he managed to remove the cap, he took a large sip before putting the bottle back to its place. He reached for his coffee to wash away the taste of alcohol, eyes squinting as the bitter taste got replaced by a much more pleasant sweet aroma. He swallowed loudly and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated for an unknown reason.

“Is everything alright Reed?” Nines asked as his LED flickered between yellow and blue.

“Yea, yea.” Gavin replied while dragging his palm over his face, stopping on his chin to itch the stubble on it. “I’m just trying to figure out if this is really happening or I’m being delusional again.” He finished as he took another sip of his coffee.

“You are fully awake.” The android replied.

“Alright, proceed then.” Gavin said as he continued to drink his warm coffee.

“Thank you,” he nodded, “I’ve interrogated our suspect from yesterday. He didn’t say much but mentioned an important meeting that will be hosted this weekend by somebody who goes by J.K.” His LED cycled a bright yellow ring before returning to blue.

“Well damn, a party you say?” Gavin leaned against a wall and took another sip of his warm beverage. “Now let me ask you something,” he raised an eyebrow, “how the fuck did you get in here?” 

“Connor said he usually drops off groceries at your place every two days. He mentioned something about taking care of you,” he stopped as his LED blinked red for a split second, “I needed to talk to you so I thought I’d do it instead of him, he’s still asleep anyway.” The android finished.

“Thanks but I’d appreciate if you at least texted me before just breaking in into our...” Reed stopped himself, his stomach dropped as he corrected himself, “before you come over.” He settled on that, not having the strength to call the house “his” place.

“I apologize.” He looked down at his feet, LED flickering yellow for a split second.

“Whatever,” he brushed off Nines’ apology, “would you like to eat something? I hate eating alone.” Gavin said as he went to place his, now empty, cup in the sink.

“I can’t eat human food.” The android replied.

“I know, I’m not dumb.” Gavin said as he picked up Lilith. She let out a loud meow and started purring as soon as she saw Nines again. Her little eyes sparked with joy and she twitched her ears slightly, eyes glued to the android before her. “Seems like she likes you.” Gavin smiled, trying to pretend like Nines wasn’t the one that brought Lilith home.

“How do you know?” Nines tilted his head as he slowly approached the two of them.

“Just look at her, she’s vibrating with excitement.” Reed laughed, “Go ahead hold her, I’ll make us breakfast.” He said and handed him the cat before disappearing into the kitchen.

Nines held her tightly, not knowing what he should do with her. She was soft and warm, her whole body shook with happiness as she purred loudly. Her black fur was pristine and soft unlike any other texture he had ever felt. His eyes traced her body until they stopped on her tail, she flicked it around playfully, purring just as loudly as before. He looked back at her head and his LED flickered red for a split second. A set of round yellow eyes met his as she let out a meow, startling him slightly. Lilith was a pet just like Sumo but there was something different about her. For one, she was much more interested in him. And, compared to Sumo, Nines adored the way she showed affection. She kept on purring and meowing until he finally placed his hand on her, stroking her gently. A smiled formed on his face as he felt his software instability rise slightly, he dismissed it immediately, too occupied with cuddling the kitten in his arms to care. Gavin watched them cuddle from a distance, his heart pounded as he remembered that this used to be a daily routine. 

“Would you like some tea?” He asked with a deep sigh.

“Yes please.” Nines smiled as he continued to pet Lilith.

Gavin shuffled around the kitchen for a while, his mind raced as he searched for, what used to be, Nines’ favorite mug. It was in its usual place, neatly pressed against the other mugs, in that high cabinet on the far left just above the sink. He leaned in, holding on to the sink as he stepped on the tip of his toes in hopes of reaching the mug. A loud sigh left his lungs as he accidentally pushed the mug further back with the tip of his finger. He quickly glanced over, Nines was still busy playing with the kitten, too busy to notice Gavin had to jump slightly to fetch the cup. He jumped once, jumped twice before finally pulling the mug closer. Finally, with the item within his reach, he grabbed and inspected its shiny surface. It reflected his tired face and messy hair and for second he forgot it was six in the morning and he was making tea for the android that broke into his house. Again, he glanced over his shoulder, Nines was gently patting Lilith’s tummy as she rolled around the floor. Gavin’s lips involuntarily curved in a soft genuine smile, his chest felt fuzzy and warm, this whole situation felt so familiar, so nice and domestic. A silent gasp left Nines’ mouth as Lilith bit his finger, his LED flickered yellow for a few seconds before returning back to blue. Gavin desperately tried to swallow a loud chuckle but failed and the android looked up at him. Their eyes met, the icy blue pearls pierced Gavin’s soul, causing his heart to squeeze as the two of them just stood there in complete and utter silence. But unlike before, their staring felt somewhat comforting, Gavin was slowly learning to appreciate those short moments, those precious moments in which he got the chance to just lose himself within those cold eyes.

“Erm…” Gavin spoke up, voice still raspy and shaky, “would you like to drink the tea in the kitchen or should I bring it there?” He asked, unsure if he genuinely wanted to ask that or just so he could hear his voice. 

“I’ll come there if you don’t mind.” Nines replied as he got up, dusting off the hairs on his pants.

“Cool.” Gavin replied as he set the mug aside and turned towards the fridge. 

All thirium based product were supposed to be stored in the refrigerator. Gavin never bother to ask why but he wasn’t exactly that curious about it, he respectively followed the instructions and stored all the food and drinks they had in the fridge. Of course they kept their food separate, human food was on the lower shelves while the thirium products were up higher. They always made sure to separate their foods, the last thing they wanted was for Gavin to get sick. While the products weren’t lethal, they were more than capable of causing a very unpleasant food poisoning.

He grabbed the handle and pulled on the door until his face was illuminated by the light that came from inside the fridge. He looked around for a second, moving various items out of the way as he searched for the tea. He found it beside the large tub of ice cream, they were packed in small bottles and came in packs of eight. With beverages like thirium tea and coffee, one was allowed to warm them up and drink them warm but to prevent malfunctions, the drinks were strictly stored in the refrigerators and were not allowed to reheat once they have been warmed up. Rules were rules, Gavin thought to himself as he grabbed one bottle and closed the fridge. He grabbed one and pushed the door with his hip as he twisted the cap a few times before it opened. A small amount of it spilled on his hands, he rolled his eyes and continued preparing the beverage, not minding the cold liquid damping his skin. 

“Can I help you somehow?” The android asked as he entered the kitchen.

“It’s fine,” Gavin said as he poured the tea into the mug and put it in the microwave, “just make yourself at home.” He finished as he looked over. Nines had a worried look on his face, his eyebrow twitched as he stared into the floor, LED switching between blue and yellow.

“Come on, spit it out.” Gavin said with a loud exhale.

“Pardon?” Nines tilted his head like a confused puppy.

“I can tell something’s bothering you so you better start talking while you still can.” He replied quickly.

“Well,” the android’s LED flickered yellow, “I’ve been thinking about the case for a while now and,” he stopped suddenly to let out an unnecessary exhale, “I think the murders are related to the increase of crimes related to red ice.”

“Keep talking.” Gavin was focused now, at first the android’s words made no sense but the more he thought about it, the clearer it got.

“I have nothing else to say unfortunately, this is nothing but a mere thought, I have no evidence but I’m positive that the androids are being hurt and murdered because of thirium.” Nines said just as the microwave beeped to notify them that the tea was ready.

“I mean it makes sense, you already suggested illegal android trafficking so this could be the case too, we can’t know just yet.” Gavin said as he reached for the microwave.

“Exactly!” Nines exclaimed, “That’s why we need to attend that party, the answer must be somewhere within those walls.” He finished as Gavin handed him his tea. 

“You’re right, we’ll tell Fowler today.” Gavin said as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

“Already have.” Nines shot him a toothy grin.

“Smartass.” Gavin chuckled, he looked down at the floor and shook his head.

“You’re not that bad yourself either.” Nines said.

“Oh really?” Gavin asked and took a sip of the coffee.

“I think you’re amazing.” He said. His LED flickered blue for a few seconds as he stared at Gavin. He looked up at him and smiled, his hair was still a mess, face still sleepy, clothes a wrinkled mess on his exhausted body. He just nodded, he looked at him and nodded slightly but remained silent. Nines thought that was a cute response, Nines thought Gavin was cute in general, he felt his software instability rise and he panicked. “An amazing detective that is.” He quickly corrected himself while trying to hide his flustered face from the man in front of him. 

“Look at you, being all flirty and what not.” Gavin forced out a laugh, he couldn’t let Nines see how desperate he was for his attention. “I must admit,” he said as he took another sip, “you’re cute when you lie.” The android’s LED cycled red for a split second.

“What?” Nines asked silently.

“Your nose,” Gavin pointed towards it, “it scrunches up when you lie.” He said and got closer to him, their bodies only inches apart. “What did you do Nines?” Gavin asked.

The android’s LED switched from blue to yellow repeatedly, his face contorted in a silly way, almost like he was embarrassed. Gavin just observed him silently, waiting for the other man to finally confess to what he had been up to. Regardless of their situation, Reed was still deeply in love with him and couldn’t stand the thought of his partner hiding potentially dangerous informations from him.

“The information that I’ve told you,” Nines paused to drink his tea as he tried to compose himself, “it’s confirmed. Captain Fowler and I managed to introduce me to J.K. as a potential new customer. He sells drugs, mostly red ice.” He finished.

“Alright.” Gavin sighed, “Why the fuck did you lie then?” He snapped.

“I don’t know.” The android replied.

“Stupid tin can.” Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. It was greasy and dirty, he had to shower while he still had time. “I’m gonna go shower and then we’ll be on our way” he said as he dragged his feet on the kitchen floor, “and I don’t want you to ever go on an undercover mission alone again, got it?” He asked.

“But I wasn’t alone.” Nines replied quickly.

“I asked you something.” Gavin said as he made his way towards the bathroom.

“Fine!” Nines said and fished his tea before making himself comfortable on the soft sofa in the living room.

Gavin shook his head as he opened the bathroom door, he couldn’t believe Nines did such a thing, he couldn’t believe Fowler allowed for this to happen. Sure, Nines was an extremely good detective and knew what he was doing but at the same time that same detective got himself almost killed. He sighed loudly as he glanced at the clock they kept on one of the shelves in the room, he had fifteen more minutes to get ready. Perfect, just enough time to wash his hair, get refreshed and have an existential crisis. He stripped his clothes and tossed them aside before stepping into the shower. With a loud grunt, he turned it on and let the cold water wash away his worries. He pressed his head against the shower wall, he closed his eyes and focused on the water dripping down his back.

“What the fuck am I doing?” He mumbled to himself, “That’s not him, he’s not him.” He curled his fingers into a fist. Another loud sigh escaped his lungs as he spoke to himself again. “That’s not your Nines, stop pretending, man up and let go already.” His chest felt heavy as he scolded himself. He felt like complete crap but knew he had no time to pity himself, duty called. He quickly washed his hair and rinsed it out, he wanted to get to work as soon as possible, he desperately needed a distraction, the last thing he wanted was to be alone with his thoughts. Lazily, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He wrapped himself with it before glancing at the clock, he had ten more minutes. The doors creaked loudly as he stepped out of the bathroom covered only by a towel.

In the silence of his home he heard a familiar sound of pans rattling, he couldn’t resist but go look what was happening. A pleasant aroma filled his lungs as he walked down the hallway, he knew he should’ve gotten dressed before investigating it but he couldn’t help his curiosity. Gavin slowly peered around the corner and felt his heart squeeze. Nines was making scrambled eggs with Lilith in his arms. He mumbled something to her, unfortunately Gavin was too far away to hear. He pet he gently, making sure to scratch her behind her ears. They looked wonderful, they reminded Gavin of their life before accident. Gavin tried his best not to cry, he was angry at himself. He knew holding on to the past would only hurt him even more but he couldn’t bring himself to let go, he couldn’t bring himself to hate Nines. Carefully, he backed away, doing his best not to alert either of them, the last thing he wanted was for Nines to see him like this. He went to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him before throwing himself on the bed. He desperately needed to get dressed and go to work, he couldn’t stand being here anymore. Tears streamed down his face as he opened his closet and grabbed the first shirt he saw. He sighed loudly as he picked up the jeans he threw on the floor before going to bed last night. By the time he was dressed, Nines had already finished preparing the breakfast. He set it on the table and waited for Gavin to finish. Lilith tried her best to get on the table and steal some of the food but Nines was watching over it carefully. Gavin walked into the dining room and rubbed his eyes, pretending like they were red and swollen from anything else but crying.

“What’s that for?” Reed asked.

“You haven’t had breakfast yet so I went ahead and made you some eggs.” Nines responded.

“Yeah I get that but why did you do it?” Reed asked again, not knowing what kind of an answer he was wishing for.

“You’re my partner Reed,” the android spoke softly, “I have to make sure you stay healthy, how else are you supposed to do your work?” This time Nines was the one asking questions.

“Right, right.” Gavin shook his head, this was definitely not the answer he was hoping for but this day had already been an emotional roller coaster so he couldn’t bother.

“Enjoy your meal.” Nines smiled awkwardly.

“Thanks but we have to hurry up unless we want to be late.” Gavin replied as he sat down and started eating.

The eggs were absolutely delicious, Gavin had no idea eggs could even taste this good. He took another bite and wondered about Nines’ cooking abilities. How was a detective android so damn good at cooking, the world would never know. He continued eating, pretending like nothing was ever wrong and like he wasn’t doing the mental math to understand how the hell Nines knew how to cook so well. He ate in silence as the android made sure the restless kitten gets enough attention. He watched them play for a while, both of them were beyond adorable. If he were in a better state of mind, he would’ve definitely asked Nines to come live with him but unfortunately, he just wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Can I ask you a question?” Nines spoke up.

“Who’s stopping you?” Gavin said as he finished his meal.

“I can’t help but notice tension between us,” his LED flickered yellow as he spoke, “you’re often very hostile towards me, why is that?” Nines asked as he locked eyes with Gavin.

“You remind me of somebody,” Gavin said as he got up quickly, “somebody who is no longer with us.” Without thinking he headed towards the door. In complete silence, he put on his boots and grabbed a jacket before turning around to gesture the android to get going. 

Nines said nothing but his LED stayed yellow, he quickly grabbed the dirty dishes and placed them in the sink before rushing over to Reed. Neither of them said a word as they exited the place, Nines just gently smiled and waved at Lilith as she stared at them with her big sparkly eyes. Gavin let out a deep sigh as he locked the door, he wasn’t in the mood to argue with Nines nor was he in the mood to talk about the past but knowing Nines, talking was unavoidable. He glanced over his shoulder to look at Nines, he was patiently waiting for Gavin to finish, LED still stuck on that dumb piss color. “Fuck!” Gavin thought to himself as he tried to figure out a way how to avoid unwanted questions. He slowly approached Nines when it dawned on him, the solution to his problems.

“Come here,” he called out, “we’re taking the bike.” He said as he made his way to the garage. Nines followed without a question, he silently walked behind him until they reached his motorcycle. 

“Here take this,” Gavin handed him a helmet, “you might be a plastic prick but no plastic will save you if you fall off.” He chuckled awkwardly.

“Thank you.” Nines replied as he put it on. 

The two of them got on and Gavin started the bike, it wasn’t going to be a particularly long drive but Gavin appreciated the lack of conversation it would provide. What he unfortunately forgot about was the fact that Nines would be sitting behind him, holding onto him as he drove. He felt slightly embarrassed, slightly uncomfortable but most importantly, he’d never admit it though, safe. He felt at ease knowing Nines was just behind him, it gave him a false sense of security like he’d be able to protect Nines and Nines’d be able to do the same. 

Gavin tried not to think about it, he knew he needed to focus on the road and what’s in front of him. The last thing he wanted was to make a mistake and hurt somebody. He focused on his surroundings; the cars, the people, the morning sun shining gently on the damp streets. He felt oddly calm. Nines’ grip on him tightened each time they made a turn, Gavin did his best to ignore him, the last thing he’d want was to lose his balance because he couldn’t stop thinking with his dick.

They arrived at the office ten minutes early, Chris and Tina were already at their assigned seats, working on yet another mysterious case. Chris looked up at them and smiled gently before going back to work while Tina had no time to look up from her computer screen. 

“Will you get in trouble for sharing those informations with me?” Gavin asked before sitting down at his desk. 

“No.” The android replied quickly, “Don’t worry Reed, I’ll suffer no consequences.” he said as he stood closer to the detective.

“I’m not worried,” Gavin scoffed, “I simply don’t want him to bash your robo-brains in.” 

“I’m not sure how to process that sentence.” 

“Good.” Gavin said and took out his phone. 

As he unlocked the phone, rapid footsteps approached him. He glanced behind his shoulder, not even slightly bothered to actually turn around. It was Connor. He looked scared and angry at the same time, his LED flickering red non-stop. Hank was running behind him, clearly trying to catch up with the android who stormed around with inhuman speed.

“Nines!” Connor exclaimed as soon as he saw him. “Where were you?” He asked in a worried tone, “I looked all over the house but you weren’t there!” 

“I apologize for worrying you. I stopped by to visit detective Reed, I needed to talk to him.” Nines answered without hesitation.

“You broke in you asshole!” Gavin spoke up as he watched Connor’s face contort.

“He did what?” Connor asked as Hank put his hand on the android’s shoulder. 

“I apologize. It won’t happen again.” Nines said in a monotone voice, his posture still stiff and unnatural.

“We don’t have time to argue, we have a murder on the loose.” Hank said, completely out of breath.

“Oh look at you old man, so professional as always.” Gavin teased, a sly grin plastered on his face.

Hank rolled his eyes, clearly too tired to argue with the cocky detective. “Whatever, Fowler’s waiting for us.” He said and headed towards his office. Connor rushed after him, he looked like a lost puppy clinging to its owner. 

“Let’s go Reed.” Nines urged him to get up.

“Right, right.” Gavin rolled his eyes as he got up, stretching his back as he put his phone away.

The two of them headed towards Fowler’s office. They walked next to each other, Nines clearly towering over Gavin. For some odd reason, Nines seemed taller than usual. They either made him taller or Gavin was away from him long enough to forget how tall he was. Gavin concluded that they were definitely away from each other for too long. He tried not to think about it. He didn’t want to think about it. Remembering those lonely awful days hurt like nothing else ever could. Just thinking about long sleepless nights and dead quiet mornings made his stomach turn. This was not the time nor place for it, he’d deal with that later, he had no other choice.

“May I ask you a question?” The android spoke up.

“Go for it, who’s stopping you.” Gavin brushed him off, still battling his own thoughts.

“Are you angry at me? You seemed rather upset during our conversation with Connor.”

“Of course not.” He smacked the android’s back playfully. 

“So you don’t mind me coming over?” Nines asked, slightly weirded out by the physical contact. 

“Why would I?” Gavin replied.

“Alright, thank you Reed.” 

“No, thank you.” He replied while attempting to hide his smile. If only Nines knew how glad he actually was for his visit. Of course it brought up unwanted memories and feelings but this was one of the best mornings he had in awhile. He missed Nines, he missed him so much. Gavin was willing to put up with just about anything as long as Nines was on his side. As long as the two of them were together, boyfriends or not.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally decided to write a proper story, my skills are still below average but momma didn’t raise no bitch so here we go. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcomed, please let me know if you liked the story by leaving a comment.
> 
> The title of the fic is a lyric from a song by The neighborhood, the song is called A little death.
> 
>  
> 
> Also!!! Check me out on Twitter @apervertedsquid


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